Disenchanted
by princezsupastar
Summary: Serenity and Endymion weren't the only forbidden lovers on the Moon Kingdom...
1. Chapter 1

**DISENCHANTED**

_Serenity and Endymion weren't the only forbidden lovers on the Moon Kingdom..._

_**Disclaimer; **I do not own Sailor Moon or anything SM related. The story however, is mind, and I implore you not to steal it. I would also like to acknowledge Dejana Talis as I have used her idea of the planet Mau from her story 'Against All Odds'._

_Enjoy!_

CHAPTER ONE

"Dear child, you must stop fussing!"

The small girl let her hands fall to her sides. It was useless, her unruly hair had won. Dark waves encased her head, thick and tangled well. She stared into the mirror, hoping that some rogue magic would come her way and grow her hair, but she knew it was useless. The older woman stood behind her, placing her hands on the child's thin shoulders. "It will grow." she promised in a soft voice, giving the girl and encouraging smile in the mirror. The girl sighed. "I know, Mrs Dwyer."

A knock came at the door and a red-headed woman poked her head through. "Luna, the matron would like to see you now." The girl sighed before taking one last glance in the mirror. The older woman laughed heartily. "You look beautiful as always. Now go, you don't want to keep the matron waiting."

Luna headed towards the hallway, wringing her hands together. The matron, Miss Jovicia, was a fair lady, but could be very strict at times. Luna tried to think of any faults she may have had, but came up empty. She was a good girl, friendly and helpful, and never disobeyed.

Since losing her parents only a year before, Luna had been sent to the Royal Palace to be trained as a maid. At first she had been frightened and alone, but over time she had developed friendships with her fellow workers, and even the royal family had taken a shine to the young girl.

She passed a mirror in the hallway, and glanced briefly at it. At the tender age of ten, she was already a beautiful child, with light olive skin, dark black hair and shining red eyes. But her hair only framed her face, and she desperately wished for it to grow longer. But longer hair came with age, and she would just have to wait.

She finally reached the matron's chambers, and knocked on the door. "Come in." called Miss Jovicia's familiar voice and Luna entered inside, trying to stay positive and calm. She knew that she had done no wrong, so why was she so nervous about seeing Miss Jovicia?

The matron stood up from her chair, her face expressionless. Luna watched her anxiously as she approached the small girl. "Luna." she started, before her smile broke out into a smile. "You have been doing incredibly well. So well in fact, that you have now become my own personal assistant." Luna's mouth opened, but no words came out. She had only been at the palace for a year since losing her parents, and already she had been promoted.

She bowed her head. "Thank you so much, Miss Jovicia." she replied, smiling. The woman approached her and gave her a soft pat on the back. "You are a good worker Luna, and over time I believe that you may one day even hold my position." Luna looked up at her, her eyes wide. "Later I will show you to your new room, close to my own. I shall call for some help to move in your belongings."

As Luna left the room, she couldn't help but giggle with excitement. Being given such a position at such a young age surely meant that there were great things ahead in life for the young Mauan.

She was suddenly approached a royal guard. "Miss, the Queen requests to see you." he told Luna, who looked up at him in confusion. Had her highness heard about her promotion? Luna followed the guard down into the throne room, which was entirely made of crystal, with soft flooring as the people of Mau had sensitive feet. She looked up to see a cat with fur of moss green sitting upon the throne, and curtsied. "Your Highness." she announced, and the cat bowed it's head in return.

Luna proceeded to turn around, as the cat behind her seemed to explode into arms and legs. A few moments later she turned back around to see the Queen, setting her crystal crown upon her thick green hair before she turned her auburn eyes to the girl. "Luna." the Queen began in a soft voice. "I have heard of your promotion, and wanted to let you know how pleased I am." Despite herself, Luna couldn't help but break out into a wide grin.

The Queen continued. "At your age, such a feat is extraordinary. So to congratulate you, I give you this." she nodded to her maid, who approached Luna with a box. Luna opened the thick velvety box to reveal a golden bracelet, causing her to gasp in surprise. She turned back to the Queen and curtsied again. "Thank you, your highness. I shall treasure it forever." She placed the bracelet on her right wrist, where it fit perfectly.

The guard let her out again, and Luna walked down the hallway to her new chambers, looking at the bracelet in awe. She had never heard of any other workers receiving such gifts from the royal family, and marveled at how lucky she was to receive such an item.

The King and Queen had no children of their own, despite their best efforts. The Queen had taken on Luna as a daughter figure, doting on her as much as was allowed.

Luna reached Miss Jovicia's room and looked up to see the matron, surprised when her red orbs instead met bright blue ones. Letting out a small gasp of surprise, Luna stepped backwards and observed the being before her. It was a young boy, not much older than herself. He had alabaster skin and hair the color of pure snow. Luna had to admit that he was quite a handsome boy, except for the look that crossed his face.

"Who are you?" the boy demanded to know, taking Luna aback. No-one had ever spoken to her in such a way before. "My name is Luna, and I am Miss Jovicia's assistant. Can I help you?" she asked politely, trying her best to maintain a smile. The boy sighed and rolled his eyes, wiping the smile off Luna's face. "Where is Miss Jovicia?" he asked, looking around the room. "I could go and look for-"

"I guess I shall just wait here for her." the boy cut her off, and Luna felt her skin grow hot. What nerve this boy had, talking to her so rudely. She only hoped that when the matron came into her room, she would set the boy straight in his ways.

She turned to head out of the room, but stopped as Miss Jovicia finally appeared. Luna opened her mouth to explain the situation, but Miss Jovicia instead broke into a wide smile and gathered the pale boy up in her arms, leaving Luna to stare at the two with an open mouth.

Miss Jovicia let the boy go and then turned to Luna, one hand remaining on the boy's shoulder. "Luna, this is my nephew, Artemis." The boy smirked at Luna, who tried to give her nicest smile. "Nice to meet you, Artemis." she exclaimed, amazed at how well she covered up her anger.

"He shall be working here at the palace now." Miss Jovicia added, now moving to sit down at her glass desk. "Starting tomorrow, you are to teach him everything about working for the royal family." Luna was startled to see Artemis' eyes cloud over with sadness, before he caught her gaze and looked away.

"Yes ma'am." Luna replied, bowing slightly. "And as for your new room, it is the third door on the left." the matron added, giving Luna an encouraging smile. "Keep up the good work, child." With that, Luna left Miss Jovicia with her nephew, and found the door which was now hers.

Opening it up, she gasped in amazement. The room was much larger then her old one, and much more open, with a large window showing the royal gardens. Her suitcase with her belongings laid on the plush bed, and Luna opened the wardrobe to see her clothing there as well. A knock came at the door, and Luna opened it to reveal Mrs Dwyer, who looked around the room in amazement. "Good heavens child, what a room you have!"

Luna stood awkwardly as the woman gazed around the room. Mrs Dwyer had no such room, and probably never would. The girl felt sad for her, and slightly guilty. Mrs Dwyer saw the look on Luna's face and gave her a warm smile. "Do not feel bad, child. You are every bit deserving." she told her, and Luna's smile returned. "Thank you, Mrs Dwyer. I would not have done so well if it had not been for you." she said truthfully, knowing that Mrs Dwyer's kind words of encouragement and hope were what kept her going when things got tough.

The old woman smiled. "That is my pleasure. Now I must leave you and return to my duties." Giving Luna a kiss on the top of her head, Mrs Dwyer left the room, leaving Luna to herself. She unpacked her small suitcase, arranging her personal belongings around the room.

Another knock came to the door, and Luna opened it, this time revealing a face that she had no desire to see again so soon. "Hello Artemis." she exclaimed coolly as the boy's eyebrows furrowed together in annoyance. "My aunt told me that you would show me to my room." he replied, looking around her own room.

Luna closed the door behind her. "Right this way." she indicated for the boy to follow her, and they continued down the hallway before stopping at a large wooden door. "Here we are." Luna announced, opening up the door to reveal the room to it's new occupant.

Stepping inside, Artemis scowled. "This cannot be my room, surely." he turned to Luna, who wore a smile. "Sorry, but this room is all yours." she replied, before turning to leave the room. Artemis grabbed her arm and forced her to turn around. "This room is horrible, whereas yours is ideal. Why must I have this room and not yours?"

Luna gasped in horror. How dare this boy say such a thing? She felt like slapping him, but luckily had enough restrain to stop herself. "I have worked hard and earned my room. And if you desire a room such as mine, then I suggest that you bite your tongue and learn some manners." she told him angrily, before yanking her arm out of his grip and making her way back to her own room.

Once inside, she sat down on her bed and held her head in her hands, surprised when hot tears began to flow down her face. What was it about Artemis that got to her so badly? She wiped the tears away angrily, unsure of why she was even crying. Luna was stronger than that. All she could do was hope that Artemis would not be so difficult the next day.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer; **I do not own Sailor Moon or anything SM related. The story however, is mind, and I implore you not to steal it. I would also like to acknowledge Dejana Talis as I have used her idea of the planet Mau from her story 'Against All Odds'._

_Enjoy!_

CHAPTER TWO

When Luna awoke from her sleep, her room was still in darkness. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, before slipping out of her bed and over to the wardrobe in the corner of the room. She had a busy day ahead of her, with training the matron's scowling nephew, Artemis. Luna frowned. If he was going to have any luck in this place, the first thing she would have to teach him was how to behave around others.

Shaking her head of the thought of him speaking in such a way to the royal family, Luna slipped her trademark yellow dress over her small frame. Yellow was her favorite color, and even the Queen had complimented how the sunshine color complimented her skin and dark hair well.

She looked in the mirror and gave her short hair a quick brush, before heading outside and down the hall to Miss Jovicia, who was already awake and ready for the day. She saw the small girl standing at the doorway, and invited her in with a wave of her hand. "Artemis is to be trained as a cleaner today." the matron told Luna, giving her a warm smile. "I trust you to teach him well. But before you can begin, I am afraid that you must also teach him to be awake at a reasonable hour." She glanced at the clock before turning back to the girl. "Good luck."

Exiting the room, Luna looked down the hall at the wooden door that contained the unruly boy. She knew that she must wake him up, but that would be a feat in itself. Nevertheless, she walked down and gave a loud knock on the door, but heard no reply. She sighed, knowing that is was going to difficult. She opened the door wide, to reveal the pale boy sprawled across his bed, in nothing but his white pants.

Blushing, she moved closer to the bed and placed her hand on the boy's shoulder. "Artemis, it is time to awake." she said softly, shaking the boy slightly. Artemis made no move. "You have duties to attend to." The boy moved slightly, but made no sound. Luna sighed in frustration. There was only one way to get a sleepy-head out of head.

Rushing to the bathroom, she quickly grabbed a wooden bucket and proceeded to fill it with water. She then made her way back into Artemis' room, giving him one last chance to wake up. "Artemis, you cannot sleep morning." Once again there was no movement, and so Luna proceeded to empty the contents of the bucket onto Artemis' head.

He shot up quickly, dripping and shot an angry glare at Luna, who just smiled back at him. "What did you do that for?" the pale boy asked, getting out of his bed and over to his wardrobe for some dry clothes. "It is time for you to wake up, and that seemed the only way to do so." Luna replied, crossing her arms. "But it's still dark outside!" Artemis protested, getting out his clothes and placing them on a chair.

"We have many duties to fulfill, and do to so we must get up early." Luna turned to leave the room. "If you go back to sleep, I will do it again." she added, before closing the door behind her and giving the angry boy some privacy to change and calm down.

She understood that it may have been hard for Artemis, being in a strange new place with new rules, and being bossed around by a ten year old girl probably didn't help much either, but Luna was very mature for such a young age. She had been given the exact same treatment when she had first arrived, for it was necessary.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Artemis stepped out of his room, fully clothed but his snowy hair was still rather damp. He scowled at Luna, who chose to ignore his look. "Today you shall learn the duties of a cleaner." Artemis eyebrows shot up. "A cleaner? Why can't I be an assistant like you?" Luna turned her back on him and headed down the hallway. "I was a cleaner, and through hard work I earned my position as an assistant." she explained, hoping that he was following her. "But you're younger than me!" the boy replied, and Luna couldn't help but smirk. "Yes, but by the looks of things, I also happen to be much more mature than you."

They made their way into the royal bedrooms, crossing the paths of many maids who gave them a friendly smile in passing. "This is the Queen's sister's chambers." Luna announced, pushing open the large crystal door. As they walked inside, she could hear Artemis gasp in amazement and had to admit that the room was certainly impressive. The walls were made entirely of crystal, with a large bed on one side of the room. The furniture was made of clear glass, and had large open doors leading out onto the balcony.

Luna looked down to her notes before turning to Artemis, her voice growing serious. "Today, you must change the sheets, make the bed, scrub the floor, dust the furniture..." as Luna's list went on, the boy's mouth opened wider. "Is there any questions?" Luna asked as she finished reading the duties. Artemis looked worried. "Am I going to be able to all of that today?" he asked, his voice sincere. Luna's face softened momentarily. "Actually, that should only take you the better half of the morning." Artemis' face fell. "But for today, we shall see how you go."

+-+

Hours later, Artemis came up to Luna, a triumphant smile on his lips. "Finished." he announced proudly, and Luna looked around the room, surprised at how well the pale boy was doing. "Great work." she told him, offering him a genuine smile. Maybe he wasn't all that awful after all. Artemis scratched the back of his head in thought. "What do we do now?" Luna thought for a moment, before ushering Artemis out of the room. "First we must go and report to Miss Jovicia, and then I daresay you shall have the rest of the evening free." She closed the door behind them, and they made their way to the worker's quarters at the other end of the palace.

Miss Jovicia had certainly been impressed with her nephew's progress that day, and also proud of Luna's training. She granted them the evening off, and Luna delightedly headed to her room. "Luna." called a voice, and Luna turned around, surprised to see Artemis standing in the hallway, looking slightly awkward. "Do you require anything?" she asked, her eyes wide. "Well I, um." he looked nervous, and Luna wondered why. "If you could maybe show me around the palace?"

Luna was surprised. This wasn't the same boy she had met yesterday, was it? He looked the same, but his tone was gentle, his face no longer hard and angry. "Of course." she replied, giving him a smile. "Let me just put my things in my room, and then we shall be on our way."

Closing the door behind her, Luna tried to sort out the millions of thoughts that seemed to be occupying her mind at the same time. Artemis has somehow changed during the day, from being a cranky, scowling, rude boy to being someone that she actually picture herself getting along with. He had certainly worked very hard, and Luna was looking forward to getting to know him.

She came back out into the corridor, surprised to see that Artemis was still standing outside her door, waiting for her, a smile breaking out onto his face as she reappeared. Luna blushed slightly, before taking on an authoritative tone – but only out of humour. "One palace tour coming up." she announced, before indicating around the wide hallway. "This here is the worker's chambers." she explained, walking along with Artemis following. "But some people refer to it as the servant's quarters." she shivered slightly as she spoke. She hated being called a servant, for the title was low and insulting. Luna thought of herself as a worker, considering all the hard work she did each and every day.

They came up now to the palace, made of crystal and glass and illuminated with light, unlike the dark and musty chambers below that they lived in. The palace was like a fresh breath of air, and Luna loved being surrounded by the light walls and the smooth floors. Artemis looked up and around, taken in by awe with his surroundings. That morning they had only walked through the side corridors, and not through the palace itself. Luna turned to the snowy boy and smiled. "The palace is beautiful, is it not?" she asked him softly, and Artemis, clearly still in awe, simply nodded his head in reply.

"I would love to show you my favourite room in the entire palace." Luna said timidly, her cheeks flushing pink as Artemis' blue eyes turned to her. She had never shown anyone nor told anyone of the room, but felt strangely comfortable enough to share it with her companion. He smiled encouragingly, and she lead him down the large halls, bowing her head slightly as they passed other beings and cats alike.

They finally came across a large crystal door, and Luna looked up at Artemis, who was peering through the door in curiosity. She pushed it open, and with satisfaction heard Artemis behind her gasp in awe as he looked around. There were large glass structures on the walls miles high, stacked with the most books Luna could have ever imagined. An avid reader at her young age, Luna felt peaceful in the library, the one place she could be alone and enjoy as many books as she pleased. The Queen had discovered the young girl in the library searching through the books, but instead of scolding her, she had allowed the raven-haired child to enjoy the library whenever she wished.

Luna sat down in her favourite plush chair, her thin frame much too small to fit the seat. Artemis joined her, sitting across from the young girl but his eyes still wandered around the room, making Luna let out a small giggle. His eyes now looked at her, questioning, but there was no harshness in his young face. "It is nice to see someone else look at this place the way I do." she explained, smiling contently. Artemis returned the smile, but then his features shifted, his face looking troubled. Luna looked at him, her eyebrows furrowed with worry.

"Luna, I..." Artemis trailed off, his blue eyes not leaving her red ones as he continued. "I jut wanted to apologize for my behaviour. I shouldn't have been so rude to you, it's just that... I was so angry at my parents, leaving me here and heading off to another planet." Luna gasped. No wonder he had been so awful the previous day, his parents had done a horrible thing to him. "But I'm going to make the most of the time I spend here." he added, standing to his feet now and holding out a hand to Luna, who took it, her cheeks getting hot again.

"Let's go and explore the books now, shall we?"


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer; **I do not own Sailor Moon or anything SM related. The story however, is mind, and I implore you not to steal it. I would also like to acknowledge Dejana Talis as I have used her idea of the planet Mau from her story 'Against All Odds'._

_Enjoy!_

CHAPTER THREE

Luna sighed as she noticed the many papers that covered her desk. It was almost mid-morning, and yet the stacks had not seemed to decrease, as hard as she tried to get through them all.

Taking a break, she sat back in her chair and closed her eyes. Whilst it was nice having her own desk in Miss Jovicia's office, it came with many responsibilities – such as completing all the paperwork. But Luna kept working hard, mindful of taking over for Miss Jovicia when she finally retired.

Suddenly a pair of hands covered her eyes and she tried to fight whoever it was off. "Guess who?" teased a familiar voice, and Luna dropped her hands. "Artemis, look how much paperwork I have." she replied, and the hands lifted from her eyes.

Luna turned around to look at her friend, who was grinning triumphantly. Now 16, Artemis had grown into quite a handsome teenager. His snow white hair now reached his shoulders, his nose and jaw now more defined. He had grown quite tall, and his body was well-toned from his years of labor.

Luna herself had turned out to be an attractive girl of 14, her hair just past her shoulders now, cascading in dark waves. Her breasts had begun to develop, as well as her hips, making her yellow dress flare out just right at her waist.

"No more paperwork for you today." Artemis exclaimed, confusing the raven-haired girl. "Miss Jovicia has granted us both a day off due to out dedication and hard work." Luna raised an eyebrow, unsure of Artemis was speaking the truth. He was known to be quite cheeky and dodge the rules, and Luna did not want to get into any trouble.

In answer to her thoughts the matron came bustling into the room, carrying thick books in her arms before setting them down on her own desk. She looked at the pair with surprised eyes. "What are you two doing here? I would have thought you would be spending your day off in the kingdom." Luna turned her red eyes to Artemis, who merely grinned at her.

"We were just about to leave." Artemis exclaimed, before offering a hand to Luna, who's cheeks flushed crimson as she took it. "Don't get into too much trouble, and please be back before dark." Luna and Artemis nodded their heads in unison before heading out of the door, Artemis still holding onto Luna's hand.

The made their way down into the kingdom, their toes skimming the brightly coloured grass, and Artemis rattled his small leather purse. "My shout today." he exclaimed, flashing his white teeth at Luna in a wide grin. "Artemis, I do have my own money, surely-" Luna stopped, as Artemis had placed two fingers upon her lips. "My shout." he repeated, before moving his hand away and leaving Luna to blush crimson once more.

He lead her to a small cafe, where cats and beings alike sat around small tables conversing and eating. Artemis ushered his friend into a small booth at the back, sliding into the seat next to her. "Are you hungry?" he asked, looking around for a waiter. "I forgot to have breakfast." Luna admitted, rubbing her stomach as it grumbled. She hadn't had the time this morning, the paperwork had demanded her undivided attention. Artemis just smiled as the waiter approached, and Luna tuned out from their conversation to look out of the window, admiring the cats who walked past the cafe. She was looking forward to her sixteenth birthday, when she could finally learn the secrets to transforming into a cat herself.

Artemis had already turned sixteen months before, and could now successfully turn into his cat form when he wished. Luna had marvelled at his feline form, a cat of pure white with large blue eyes which always seemed to be laughing at her. Her train of thought was suddenly derailed as Artemis nudged her softly, giving her a wide smile. "What are you thinking about?" he asked, and Luna sighed in reply. "What plans do you have for the future?" she asked him, her red eyes shining.

Artemis sat back on the seat, taking in her question. "I have no idea." he replied slowly, and Luna could see that he was now thinking deeply. "I have worked at the palace for years now, and I know that I will probably continue to work there for many years to come." Luna hesitated momentarily before continuing. "But there has to be more to life." Artemis looked at her now, his expression soft. "I understand." Luna gave a sigh of relief, glad to know that she wasn't the only one having these thoughts.

The moment was broken though as the waiter returned with a large bowl of brightly covered shapes, before he left to check on another table. Luna looked at Artemis questionably. "What are these?" she asked, curious as her eyes turned to the oddly bright shapes. "They are called star flakes." he replied, taking a small handful and putting them into his mouth. Luna followed suite, observing the flakes before putting them into her own mouth.

She was pleasantly surprised, they were unlike anything she had ever tasted before. She turned to Artemis, her eyes shining. "These are delicious!" she exclaimed, making Artemis let out a soft chuckle as she grabbed another handful. She gave him a scowl in return, before joining in his laughter. She found it so easy to enjoy herself in Artemis' company, he was the only friend of her own age that she had in the palace, as most of the workers were much older. With Artemis, she had time to actually be a teenager.

Once the bowl had been cleared, Artemis sat back in the chair and patted his flat stomach. "That was wonderful." he stated, looking at Luna, who nodded. The waited came over and took the bowl, and Artemis handed him some shiny coins. He then slid out of the chair, turning to Luna and offering his hand out to her, which she took with another blush as she stood up as well. But Artemis did not let go of her hand, and Luna admitted to herself that she didn't want him to let go either.

They made their way back outside, and Luna was happy to feel the grass underneath her feet again. She disliked hard floors with her sensitive feet, as did every Mauan – it came with being a feline race. They had no need for shoes, and Luna cringed at the thought of having her feet covered. Lost in her train of thought, she did not notice that Artemis had brought her to another shoppe, this one bright and inviting. They went inside, and Luna gasped in awe. She had never been here, and couldn't believe that she had never noticed such a place.

There were crystals and ribbons adorning every shelf, jewelery and beads – a very girly shoppe, Luna had to note, and commended Artemis for being brave enough to come inside. He instantly lead her over to the ribbon section, going through each shade before picking out a long strand of sunshine yellow ribbon, the same colour as her favourite dress. Luna couldn't help but notice that Artemis' cheeks had gone slightly pink as he turned to her, focusing his blue eyes on hers. "I wish to buy you this." he indicated towards the delicate ribbon in his hand. Luna couldn't help but blush herself. "You do?" she replied, her red orbs shining as she watched him. "You have been so kind to me, and I wanted to give you something special."

Luna's face fell slightly as she realized what was happening. "You're leaving, aren't you." she whispered as she tried to keep calm. His eyes now went to the ground as he nodded. "My parents have returned and wish to take me." he answered, his voice just as soft. Luna's vision became blurry as she tried to contemplate life without her snow-haired companion. Artemis was her rock, her confidante, and she wasn't sure if she could cope without him. She said nothing in reply, choosing to suffer in silence. She only wished that she could leave the shoppe quickly so that he did not have to see her cry.

The silent pair reached the front of the shoppe, where Artemis paid for the ribbon that he still gripped with one hand, his other hand keeping a firm hold on Luna's. They made their way back outside, but instead of returning to the palace like Luna had expected, they went the opposite way, towards the deep lush forest.

Luna's eyes cleared up as her tears left her eyes, and she quickly wiped them away so Artemis did not see. She took in their surroundings, she could not have imagined a place more beautiful than this. The grass was thicker underneath her feet, and there were brightly coloured flowers everywhere around her. She was so busy looking around in awe that she did not sense Artemis stop, and walked into him. "Sorry." she exclaimed, looking at him carefully as he turned around to face her. "I wish I could stay." he told her softly, taking both of her hands in his. Luna could feel the moisture return in her eyes as she replied. "So do I."

Luna could never have imagined what happened next. Artemis leaned closer to her, and brushed his lips softly against her flushed cheek, causing her to blush even more. What were these strange feelings that she had for her friend? They had a fantastic friendship, but lately there was something more. Her cheeks grew hot more often when she was with him, and butterflies seemed to occupy her stomach more as well. She glanced down at her hand, admiring the yellow ribbon that he had picked out especially for her.

"Artemis, I..." but she was broken off as a group of large men dressed in black approached them, grabbing their hands and putting them behind their backs. "Artemis?" Luna cried out, looking at her friend who appeared to be just as frightened as she. "No more talking." muttered a low voice in her ear, causing Luna to panic as she tried to squirm her way out of the men's hands. She looked up just in time to see Artemis being dragged away further and further from her, his blue eyes wide with panic.

"ARTEMIS!"

A sharp knock came to the back of Luna's head, and then everything went black.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer; **I do not own Sailor Moon or anything SM related. The story however, is mind, and I implore you not to steal it. I would also like to acknowledge Dejana Talis as I have used her idea of the planet Mau from her story 'Against All Odds'._

_Enjoy!_

CHAPTER FOUR

Luna's eyes flew open, and it took her only seconds for everything to come flooding back. All she could remember was her arms being held behind her back, watching as Artemis was taken away from her, tears flowing between them both. They had been in the forest, with flowers and trees and bush surrounding them. But her surroundings had dramatically changed, she was in a small room made of thick, glossy walls, made of a substance she had only seen very few times in her life – marble. There was only one planet that used marble in such a way.

Before she could think about anything else the door opened, revealing a rather large and pale man in a suit of green-tinged armour. His face was harsh, but Luna could detect a hint of pleasantness in his grey eyes. "Come on." he said, indicating for the frightened girl to take his hand. She obliged, and the man lead her down a large marble hallway, one that was even more exquisite then the one at her own palace.

They came to a pair of large double doors, with intricate detailing etched into the marble, making Luna gasp with awe. Never had she seen such a place of magnificence. The doors opened and she was let inside, her red eyes wandering around the large room before settling upon a pair of the palest blue eyes Luna had ever seen. They belonged to a silver-haired woman, with a kind face and the pale skin. Beside her sat a man with hair of bronze and golden eyes that watched the young girl carefully.

"Is this the girl who referred to earlier?" asked the man, and only now did Luna see the gold crescent upon his forehead, making her gasp. This was no ordinary palace, and these were no ordinary people. They were the King and Queen of the Moon, rulers and peace-keepers of the Silver Millennium. She kept her eyes to the ground now, trying to figure out why she had found herself on the moon. "Yes, she was one of the children found." the man beside her replied, bowing his head to the royals.

"Young one, what planet do you hail from?" came a soft voice that sounded like chimes. Luna lifted her red orbs to meet pale blue ones. "I come from the planet Mau, your majesty." she replied, bowing her head as well. "Mau? What an excellent planet. Are you able to turn into your feline form?" the king asked, watching the girl with curiosity. "No, your highness. I am afraid that you must be sixteen to learn the transformation, I am only fourteen."

The queen gasped at Luna's reply and her hands moved to her throat. "So young." she whispered to herself. "What is your last memory?" Luna bowed her head, praying silently that she would stay calm and composed. "I was in the forest, with Ar – my friend, and then..." As she felt tears spring into her eyes, she tried to keep her voice steady. "They came out of nowhere, and they took him away." A tear broke free and rolled down her cheek. "I cannot remember after that, I am sorry." she quickly wiped her tears away with the back of her hand, not noticing that the queen had left her throne and now stood in front of her.

"Dear child, what is your name?" Luna looked up, startled to see the queen's beautiful face only inches from her own. "Luna, your highness." she replied, giving a sniff and then instantly regretting it. The queen gave her a warm smile before returning to her throne. Luna looked around frantically. What would happen now? When could she go home?

The momentary silence was broken as another man in the same armour entered the room, his pace quite fast. "Your majesties," he bowed before continuing. "We have caught similar groups with kidnapped children all over the galaxy, the largest number being found on Venus." The king sighed. "They shall all be apprehended, and pay for what they have done." the king replied, his eyes now focusing on Luna. "Hermos, please bring Selenity to us." he asked the man, who bowed once more before leaving the room just as quickly as when he entered.

"Luna." the king stated, and she lifted her gaze to meet his. "You are now in employ of the moon. You are to become the princess' personal helper and her confidante." Luna's stomach dropped as realization kicked in. She wasn't going anywhere, not back to her home planet of Mau, to her sunshine room, to her palace of crystal and her adoring queen. And most of all, it was likely that she would never see Artemis again. Her knees suddenly gave in, and she fell to the ground, her face blank.

A fanfare sounded from just outside of the room, causing Luna to get back onto her feet. A small girl then entered, just younger than Luna herself, with lavender hair and violet eyes. She guessed that the beautiful girl was the princess, Selenity. The queen stood up from the throne to her daughter, taking her by the shoulders and gently turning her into Luna's direction. "Selenity, this is Luna. She's going to be your confidante." the queen told the princess softly, who broke into a wide smile.

"Hello Luna." Selenity approached the girl, who tried to return the smile as best she could. "Your highness." she replied, giving the young girl a curtsy. Selenity giggled before taking Luna's hand in her own pale one. "Let me show you my chambers." she exclaimed, and before Luna could say anything in response they were heading down the large hallway once more, this time heading towards some large stairs.

Luna couldn't help but take in her surroundings with awe. The palace was much more larger then the one on Mau, and much more decorated. She was looking up at the ceiling when the pair stopped, and Luna now turned her gaze into the princess' bed chambers. It was large, with open doors leading out to a balcony opposite them. The bed to one side was large, covered in silver sheets that looked like liquid silk. In one corner was a dressing table, adorned with gold features and a large mirror.

Selenity moved back outside, and lead Luna to another door only metres away from her own. "This is your chambers." the princess told her, opening the doors. The room was similar to the princess', only both the room and furniture were much smaller, and the sheets adorning the bed were pale white in colour and made of a different material. But to Luna's joy, she had her own set of doors leading out onto the large balcony. She turned to the princess, a genuine smile crossing her face. "This place is magnificent." she told her, and Selenity smiled again. "We are going to be wonderful friends Luna, I can tell."

As the sky darkened and the stars began to appear in the sky, Luna made her way out onto the balcony, the princess being prepared for bedtime behind her. She looked up into the night, observing the stars that spread across it. Which one was her own beloved planet? Was Artemis somewhere out there? Her eyes caught the large planet of green and blue which seemed to hover above them. The Earth. Luna had heard many stories of the planet, but had never seen it. It was quite a sight to behold.

She turned back to the princess, who was now climbing into her large bed. Luna came back inside the room, closing the doors to the balcony behind her. "Please Luna, do leave them open." Selenity protested, and Luna obliged, reopening them before sitting beside the princess on the bed. "Shall I read you a story?" she asked, trying her hardest to figure out her new routine. She would have to learn everything again, for she was not used to accommodating for a young princess.

Selenity squirmed down into her bed, her lavender hair sprawling over her silver pillow. "Will you tell me about Mau?" she asked, her violet eyes looking up into Luna's red ones. "It is a beautiful planet, with brightly coloured grass and lush forests, where beings and felines roamed together." A sad smile crept onto her lips as she thought of home, a place she was likely to never see again. "What about your parents?" the princess inquired. "My parents died many years ago." Luna replied gently. "Where did you live then?"

Luna couldn't help but smile, Selenity was certainly inquisitive. "I lived and worked at the palace of Mau, a palace much smaller than this but made of crystal." the princess let out a gasp of wonder. "How beautiful." she stated aloud. "It was. Artemis and I would spend all of our free time roaming the halls." Luna's gaze fell to her lap. The more time she spent without him, the more she yearned to be with him. "Artemis? Was he your friend?" Luna couldn't help but smile to herself. "He was more than a friend. I guess, in my own little way..." "What?" the princess asked, her violet eyes wide. "I loved him." Luna finished, amazed at her admittance.

There was silence, and Luna looked beside her, startled at the sight of Selenity fast asleep. She could not believe how quickly it had happened, unless she had just lost track of the time. Making sure not to disturb the sleeping princess, she climbed off the large bed and made her way out onto the balcony, before entering into her own chambers. She looked around her new room, trying to get familiarized with the furniture and her new belongings. In her wardrobe she found a night-dress, and quickly slipped out of her yellow dress into the night one.

Climbing into her new bed, the sheets felt odd as she settled in between them. This was her new life, and she could no longer dwell on her old one. She closed her eyes in a bid for sleep, but only images came into her mind, filling her thoughts instead. All she could think about was Artemis. Was he in a similar situation, being employed just like herself, or had Luna just been lucky? Was he safe and sound, or still captured by the frightening men in black?

Luna's eyes flew open, as she mentally yelled at herself for not being able to sleep. She was quite surprised to find her pillow rather wet with moisture, and realized that tears were now flowing freely down her face. Here she was in a large, grand palace surrounded by high society and workers, and yet she had never felt more alone. She wrapped her thin arms around herself in an effort to try and comfort herself. This was the way things were now, and she had new responsibilities and new things to learn, with a new way of life. In order to embrace her new path, she had to say goodbye to her past, including Artemis.

Her eyelids began to feel heavy, and Luna closed them, happily welcoming sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Disclaimer; **I do not own Sailor Moon or anything SM related. The story however, is mind, and I implore you not to steal it. I would also like to acknowledge Dejana Talis as I have used her idea of the planet Mau from her story 'Against All Odds'._

_Enjoy!_

CHAPTER FIVE

"Luna, please stop fussing!"

"Selenity, do you wish to look your best today or not?"

In the mirror, the pale, slender woman sighed. She had on her very best dress, made of white satin with a full skirt adorned with pearls. Her long lavender hair now reached the marble floor, even with her standing. The golden crescent upon her forehead glittered in the morning sun, her violet eyes wide and alert, framed with thick long lashes. So why did Selenity not feel complete?

"Luna, tell me honestly, what is missing?" She turned to face the woman behind her, her best friend and confidante, and in her personal opinion, the most exotic person she had ever laid eyes on. The woman had thick raven curls that cascaded down to the small of her back, with three balls on each side of her head, similar to Selenity's own. Her skin was an olive tone, complimenting the sunshine yellow of her dress, her red eyes pleasant and kind.

"Perhaps some jewelry?" Luna suggested, making her way over to the princess' dressing table, which was adorned with many items made of both silver and gold. "This is my favourite." Luna picked out a long silver necklace with a star-shaped charm, and put it around Selenity's slender neck. "Oh Luna, you know me so well." the princess stated, before a worker approached the door. "Your highness, your breakfast is ready." she announced in a soft voice, and Luna indicated for Selenity to go. "I shall see you later, the king has requested to see you later today."

After the princess had left, Luna glanced at herself in the mirror. Now 20, she had blossomed into a beautiful woman, although in the Moon Kingdom she felt like an outsider, her olive complexion sticking out among the pale skin of Lunarians. She had always admired her own skin, but because of it she felt like an outcast. At least her hair was her desired length, her face flawless and her lips pink.

Smiling to herself, she made her way into her own chambers. She quickly made her bed, scolding herself for not making time to have done it earlier. Selenity had awoken much earlier than expected, and she'd barely even had time to dress and deal with her hair. She sat down on her bed, looking out into the blue sky and feeling happy that today was sunny.

She had dealt with her past many years ago, having to come with terms that she would never see her friends or Queen ever again. It had been only last year that she had learned of the Queen's death, and hoped that Mau was doing fine without it's queen. But as much as she tried not to dwell on her past, she would often find her thoughts wandering to one particular person – Artemis. He would be twenty-one now, and Luna often caught herself wondering what he looked like in manhood. She could imagine that he would be greatly handsome.

She shook her head to free her mind before heading down to the kitchen in search of her own breakfast. She had formed a great friendship with the head cook, which granted her access to the kitchen at all time, coming in handy when she felt peckish. "Good morning Frewl." she sang to the cook, who nodded back to her in return. "And good morning to you too, dear Luna. What do you desire for breakfast?" he replied, his brown eyes shining at her. "Some porridge would be lovely." she replied, looking into the pot he was now stirring. "Porridge it is then!" Luna sat back and watched Frewl work. He was only a few years older than her, and quite handsome in his own way, with his deep brown eyes and spiky orange hair. She had heard from fellow workers that Frewl wished for more than a friendship, but that was all she could offer him, for her heart belonged to someone else...

"Here you go!" Frewl announced, breaking off Luna's thoughts. "Thank you so much, Frewl. It smells wonderful." she told him, taking the white bowl and spoon from his hands and breathing in the steam. Frewl was an excellent cook, and she often wondered why her stomach had not expanded from all the food she ate. She ate one spoonful of her porridge, her empty stomach accepting it eagerly. Before she knew it, the entire contents of the bowl was gone. She stood up and took her bowl to the basin, cleaning it up in the water and leaving it on the side to dry.

She made her way back to Selenity's chambers, where the princess stood before the mirror, examining herself again. She couldn't help but chuckle to herself before she stood beside the pale woman, startling her with her sudden presence. "Sorry, Selenity." Luna bowed her head slightly. In the beginning, she referred to the princess only as 'your highness' but over the years she had requested that Luna only call her Selenity, to which she had obliged.

"Why must you continually obsess over your image?" Luna inquired the princess, who sighed but did not tear her gaze away. "I am eighteen Luna, and I know that soon my parents shall be looking for a suitable husband for myself." She now turned her violet eyes away from herself to look into Luna's red ones, and she could see worry in the princess' face. "What if he does not like me?" Luna moved closer to the princess, taking her pale hands into her own olive ones. "You are the most beautiful being I have ever laid my eyes upon." Luna told her with an encouraging smile. "If he does not fancy you, then there must be something wrong with him." She let go of Selenity's hands. "But you are not even engaged, you must not think about such things."

A royal guard knocked on the door, and Luna realized that it was time for Selenity and herself to go and see the king. They made their way up the grand hallway, Luna retracing the same steps that she took on her first day on the moon, all the way to the throne room. As they entered, she curtsied to the royal couple, before taking her place on the wall behind Selenity.

"Selenity," came the king's booming voice, "Today in front of us, you stand as a woman, the most beautiful woman we could have ever wished for." Selenity smiled in return to her fathers own proud grin before he continued. "At the age of eighteen, we have decided that it is time for you to be married, and have found you a most suitable husband." Luna couldn't help but gasp. Selenity had been right. "He lives on the other side of the moon, and has asked that you meet in his own kingdom. We have allowed this, for it shall give you an opportunity to explore your planet, and meet new people." the Queen spoke up, watching her daughter with admiring eyes.

"You are to leave in two days, and we have organized your staff. Luna shall be by your side at all times," his orange eyes flickered onto Luna's and she nodded in reply. "And we are also expecting a personal guard from the planet of Venus to accompany you. Although he is fairly young, we have heard of his great skill and have chosen him especially for the duty." Selenity remained quiet throughout all of this, amazing Luna. If it had been her, she would have been tempted to flee from the room.

"You may leave." the king announced, giving his daughter once last warm smile before she turned and exited the room, followed closely by Luna, who watched her carefully. The pair made their way back to Selenity's chamber in silence, and Luna assumed that the princess was trying figure everything out in her mind. The reached the room and Selenity made a beeline for the bed, sitting down on it as Luna joined her. Luna waited for the princess to speak first, as she had no prior experience with arranged marriages. The room was quiet for many minutes before Selenity turned to her companion.

"I will be engaged." she told Luna, who nodded slowly. "I believe so." she replied, still unsure of what to say. "I hope he is handsome, and kind." Selenity breathed, and Luna let out a sigh of relief. The princess seemed content with the arrangement, which was very good news. "And to travel outside the kingdom, how exciting! We shall explore the moon together, Luna." she beamed at Luna, who could not help but return the smile. "I hope that this guard from Venus will be pleasant." she added, her brows furrowed together. "There are some guards around the palace that I would never wish to be around."

Luna couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. She could understand where Luna was coming from, the royal guards were not ideal for making friendships with. Many of them were headstrong and determined, focused only on the task at hand on not on the surrounding people. They had gruff voices and hard faces, although Luna had found some pleasant guards over the years. "I am sure he will be fine, I have heard that Venus is a very passionate planet." she reassured the princess, but couldn't help but admit that she was beginning to become very curious about the mystery guard himself.

The king had stated that he was young, and Luna couldn't help but wonder of he was attractive too. She had no idea what Venusians looked like, and was looking forward to finding out. She looked up at the princess, and saw her own curiosity reflected in Selenity's face. The princess quickly made her way to the door, signaling for a guard to come to her. The man did so, a wary look on his face as he did so. "What is it, your highness?" he asked the princess, who gave him her sweetest smile. "I was wondering if you knew anything of the Venusian guard that will be arriving here tomorrow." The guard scratched his chin in thought. "I know that he is young, but quite skilled and a fast learner." he told her, and Luna could detect a hint of disgust in his voice, and guessed that the guard was unhappy about a newcomer coming into the palace for such an important duty.

"I see." replied the princess. "And what name does this young guard go by?" she asked, opening her violet eyes wide. "They call him 'Artemis', your highness." With his reply, Luna let out a large gasp and her hands flew to her throat. She had not heard that name said aloud for many years now, and it rang in her ears. "Thank you." Selenity told the guard, ushering him back to his post before joining Luna, looking into her started red orbs.

"Could it be your Artemis?" she asked, remembering the stories of Mau that Luna had told her in her younger years. As Luna grew older and more accustomed to the moon, the stories stopped. She had told Selenity everything that there was to tell. But the stories had stayed with Selenity, especially with the snow-haired boy that Luna had fallen in love with in her younger years on her home planet. "I do not know." Luna answered softly, her voice wavering as her eyes stayed wide.

"Artemis, could it be you?"


	6. Chapter 6

_**Disclaimer; **I do not own Sailor Moon or anything SM related. The story however, is mine, and I implore you not to steal it. I would also like to acknowledge Dejana Talis as I have used her idea of the planet Mau from her story 'Against All Odds'._

_Enjoy!_

CHAPTER SIX

It had been a long two days for Luna, as she went about her daily duties and responsibilities, her mind was never far from the arrival of the guard Artemis from Venus. Was it her long-lost childhood friend who had been taken away? Or was it a mere coincidence that they shared the same name? Surely the guard had to be Venusian to be held in such a high regard, especially for the Moon royalty to bestow such a great responsibility upon him, to guard the precious Moon Princess to meet her future husband.

"Luna?"

Luna's red eyes snapped open to settle upon the face of Selenity, who's own violet orbs were full of worry. "Are you alright?" the princess asked her oldest and dearest friend, placing a slender hand on the older woman's shoulder. Luna attempted her best smile. "I'm fine, I promise. My mind just tends to run away from me sometimes." she gave a soft laugh, not sure if it was convincing enough.

Before the princess could say anything in return, there came a loud knock on the door. "Come in!" replied Selenity loudly, turning around from Luna to look at the door, which opened to reveal a older guard. "Princess." he addressed Selenity, bowing as he did so, "The King and Queen have asked for both you and Luna to see them in the throne room at once." Selenity and Luna nodded in unison, and the guard went to turn away.

"Wait!" Selenity called out, holding out her hand. The guard turned back to face the princess, a look of confusion on his face, mixed with annoyance. "Why have they summoned us?" she asked innocently, but Luna could see the princess throw a quick glance in her direction. "I was not told." the guard replied bluntly, turning around again and rushing down the hallway, obviously trying to avoid being called back.

Luna moved towards the door, indicating for Selenity to join her. The two made their way through the palace, Selenity watching as Luna tried to control her nerves. She had been afraid of getting her hopes up, but it was too late now. Her skin tingled and her stomach felt as if there had been a mass of butterflies set free inside. Her heart began to quicken it's pace, and she lifted a hand to her chest, trying to calm it down.

Selenity suddenly reached out and took Luna's hand in her own, pale skin wrapped around olive. Luna looked at the princess with wide red eyes. The display of affection did not surprise her, all of her years of being Selenity's confidante had shown her that the princess was compassionate and loving. It was that the gesture was comforting, without words or even a glance from Selenity, who's violet eyes where focused on the large throne room door before them.

Once they had reached the door, they stood outside momentarily, awaiting to be called in. Selenity gave Luna's hand one last squeeze before letting go. "Be strong." she whispered, and Luna nodded. She should have known better than to hide her feelings from the princess. Selenity was much younger, but incredibly perspective.

The door suddenly rumbled open and the trumpets sounded, signalling the princess' entry. Selenity went to stand before her parents, and Luna once again took up her usual position against the wall. She glanced around the room, taking in the faces surrounding her. There were many that had become familiar to her over the years, but she could not find the one face she hoped desperately to see.

"Selenity." the King began, his voice full of pride as he spoke his daughter's name. "Today you stand before us, a woman, even more beautiful than I could ever have imagined." Selenity bowed her head, her smile wide and bright, her cheeks flushing a light pink. Luna couldn't help but smile herself. "Today is the day that you will begin your travels across our beloved moon to meet your betrothed, who will one day rule this magnificent kingdom with you."

The King looked to the large door on Luna's left, one she had never used before but wondered where it lead to. "Selenity, I introduce you to your new guard and chaperone, Artemis, from the planet Venus!" he announced, his voice booming around the room as the door began to open slowly, filling the room with natural light before a lone figure appeared. Luna tried to make out the person's appearance, but he wore a large heavy cloak that covered his body and face. He stepped forward and the doors closed at once behind him.

"Artemis, this is my daughter, Selenity, Princess of the Moon. The Queen and I put all of our faith into you to keep her from harm, and ensure that she returns to us safely." The man named Artemis nodded before swiftly undoing the notch on his cloak and pulling it off, revealing himself to the court.

Luna pressed up against the wall, both hands clutching her chest as tears began to spring to her eyes. It was Artemis – _her_ Artemis. Although it had been many years since she had last seen him, there was no denying his identity. His snow-white hair now reached down to the middle of his back, his large blue eyes stoic and bright. He was more handsome than she could have ever imagined.

As Artemis made his way over to Selenity, Luna stood up off the wall, her hands falling to her sides. She couldn't lose control here, she had to keep calm. "Princess." Artemis spoke as he knelt before Selenity, who curtseyed in return, daring to throw a quick look at Luna with her violet eyes. Artemis stood up and turned to the King and Queen, bowing. "I will protect Princess Selenity at all costs, your royal highnesses." he addressed them.

The King nodded. "Luna, step forth." Luna froze as all eyes suddenly turned onto her. She slowly made her way on the other side of Selenity, trying her hardest not to look at Artemis from the corner of her eye. "Your highness." she curtseyed, turning her red eyes to the King and Queen. "Artemis, Luna is Selenity;s confidante and will be joining you in protecting the princess on her travels."

Artemis turned to Luna, and she did the same, unable to keep her eyes away from his. But what she saw shocked her. In his blue orbs, there was no spark of recognition, to emotion betraying his face. He merely bowed to her. "I look forward to working alongside you." he said in a dead voice, and Luna could not help but try to keep back the tears as she curtseyed in response.

"Luna, please go with the princess and collect her things. You will be leaving within the hour." the King ordered, Luna nodding before turning to Selenity, trying to keep her eyes from betraying her. "Come, Selenity." The princess looked up at her parents one last time and smiled, before accompanying Luna out of the room and towards her chambers.

The two did not speak a word as they reached Selenity's room, Luna picking up the large bag that sat neatly on the bed before she began to pack clothing and other items into it. Selenity watched her sadly, knowing that there were certainly something wrong with her dearest friend. Luna did not look at the princess once, but instead focused entirely on the task at hand.

Suddenly a hand caught her wrist and Luna stopped, looking into Selenity's violet eyes. "He's your Artemis, isn't he?" she asked Luna in a low voice. "No." Luna replied, but there was no lie in her answer. Many years ago, he had been her Artemis, but there was no trace of that warm, loving boy in the man they had met today. He was merely an empty shell, nothing more than a mere shadow of the past.

Selenity let go of Luna's wrist. "I'm sorry Luna." she whispered, a frown crossing her delicate features. Luna held her olive hands to the princess's alabaster face. "Do not apologise for something that is not your fault." she scolded gently, a sad smile on her face. "It is my fault for hoping in something much more that I should have." Her hands left Selenity's face and she continued on with packing, before the bag became too full and she had to close it.

Luna summoned a guard to collect Selenity's belongings, and quickly dashed into her own room to gather some clothes and items of her own. Her bag was much smaller, and once finished she carried down to the awaiting carriage on her own, where Artemis stood waiting as Selenity said her goodbyes to her parents and other people of the palace. The carriage was intricately decorated, and rather larger from the ones Luna had seen on the street in the kingdom. Six white horses stood ready in front, almost anxious to get going.

It was time for the trio to leave, Artemis helping Selenity into the carriage as she waved goodbye to everyone with tears. Luna couldn't help but smile, it was times like this that she forgot Selenity's true age, and that she had never left the kingdom before now. Luna went to help herself into the carriage after the princess but a hand offered itself in aid. Luna took it and made her way onto the seat opposite Selenity, who was watching her curiously.

The door of the carriage finally shut and the two women heard Artemis make his way up onto the top of the carriage, where he proceeded to get the horses going. Selenity waved out of the carriage window at her parents, dabbing her eyes with a silk handkerchief. Once they were out of sight, Selenity turned to Luna. "Oh Luna, how exciting to be venturing out to the other side of the moon! What an adventure that we will be sure to have!" she exclaimed, making Luna laugh. "And to think that I will be meeting my betrothed soon, I do hope that he's exceptionally wonderful." Selenity continued, holding her hands up to her cheeks as her eyes glazed over.

Luna sat back and tried not to think about the man that sat over them, her red eyes moving to the window as she watched the many houses in the kingdom go by, as well as the amazed faces of the people who Luna guessed had not seen such a grand vehicle in their lives. But try as she might, her thoughts drifted back to the past, to the memories she had long since tried to forget...

"_Luna."_

_The small girl lifted her head from the book she was reading, her red eyes following shortly after. "What is it?" she asked distractedly, looking at the boy who was looking at a large dust-covered book in his hands. Curious, Luna closed her own book and moved over to the boy, who was blowing off the thick layer of dust that covered the book._

"_What does it say, Artemis?"_

"_Sleeping Beauty. I think I know this story!"_

"_What's it about?"_

_Artemis sat down on the nearby seat with the book open in his hands, Luna sitting next to him, entranced. She had never heard of the Sleeping Beauty, and marvelled at her friend's new discovery, surprised that in all of her years reading in the library, she had never found it._

"_It's about a beautiful princess that has a curse put on her by an evil and jealous witch, that when she becomes older...I can't recall how old...that she will prick her finger and die."_

_Luna gasped, holding to hands up to her mouth. "That's horrible! I don't think I like this story."_

_Artemis merely smiled, moving his hands away from the book to pull Luna's away from her face. "There is more to the story." he told her, returning to the book before continuing._

"_Luckily for the princess, her parents were friends with a good witch, who could not break the spell, but change it. So instead of death, the princess would instead fall into a deep sleep, and only a kiss from her true love could wake her up again."_

"_How romantic..."_

"_So then many years later, the princess did prick her finger, even after her parents had tried so hard to prevent it from happening. And she fell into a very deep sleep, along with the rest of the kingdom. Many years passed, until one day a handsome prince came across the sleeping kingdom, and found his way to the princess. He gave her a kiss, and she woke up, and everyone was happy. And then they married and lived happily ever after."_

_Luna sighed happily. "What a lovely story. I only wish that I would be lucky enough to have a true love if someone put a curse on me."_

_Artemis' cheeks flushed crimson. "If you fell asleep and didn't wake up, I'd kiss you."_


	7. Chapter 7

_Hey there readers!_

_Just letting you know that this will be the last chapter of 'Disenchanted' that I'll be submitting for a while. But don't worry, it doesn't mean that I've stopped writing, only that I have limited access to the internet and have no idea how long it will be until I'll be online again._

_However, I promise that I will be writing away in my absence, and I am determined to finish all of my incomplete stories. In the meantime, I'd love to know what you think of the story so far!_

_**Disclaimer; **I do not own Sailor Moon or anything SM related. The story however, is mine, and I implore you not to steal it. I would also like to acknowledge Dejana Talis as I have used her idea of the planet Mau from her story 'Against All Odds'._

_Enjoy!_

CHAPTER SEVEN

Luna gasped in amazement. Her surroundings were beautiful, even more so than the landscapes on her own home planet. Beside her, the princess was equally in awe. The large white trees arose before them, with silver leaves that sparkled in the sunlight, making rainbows appear in every direction. The two had never been outside of the kingdom before, and seeing the moon forests in all their splendour was breath-taking. Their companion however, didn't think so.

"We can't stop, we need to continue on our way." Artemis huffed, his brows narrowing. Luna rolled her red eyes at him. This sour-puss certainly wasn't the same boy she had been friends with in her youth. "Honestly Artemis, you need to lighten up." she told him, but he merely scoffed in reply. "My duty is to ensure that the princess gets to her destination safely."

Luna turned her red orbs to the princess, who was busy twirling in circles, her bare feet tickled by the white grass beneath them. Her bell-like laughter echoed around them, Luna couldn't remember the last time she had seen Selenity so happy. "The princess is enjoying herself, she is happy, and that's all that matters." Artemis merely turned his back and returned to the carriage, taking his position up on the roof's seat.

Luna stood still, fuming. They had only been on their trip for a few hours now, and already she felt like letting Artemis know just how she felt about him – with a hard knock to that stony face of his. Never had she met such a boring, obnoxious man. He was almost as bad as the first time they had met, all thos years back in Miss Jovicia's office. Her face softened slightly.

Selenity stopped twirling and looked up at the white-haired man, her face falling as she slowly approached Luna. "We have to go." she spoke, more a statement than a question. Luna nodded, leading the girl back into the carriage where she sat down and put her shoes back on. "I never the moon was so beautiful." she wondered aloud, and Luna couldn't help but agree with her.

The horses began to go once more, the carriage rumbling into life, the forests passing by the windows. Selenity looked at Luna shyly, catching the raven-haired woman by surprise. "Selenity, are you alright?" she asked the princess, her voice heavy with concern. "Luna, I... Artemis, he... he's not all that much fun, is he?"

Luna clasped a hand over her mouth, trying to not let her laughter escape. She nodded her head, but Selenity could see the humour in her eyes. She let out a giggle herself, hoping that the man above them had not heard a word. Luna lowered her hand, subconsciously looking up at the roof before speaking. "I honestly have no idea what his problem is. You would think he had no idea what fun even is."

A few hours later, the carriage halted, jolting both Luna and Selenity out of their naps. Luna blinked, looking around her. "Where are we, Luna?" the princess asked her companion, rubbing sleep out of her eye. "I believe that we are at our first stop. We shall be staying here for the night." she replied, before the carriage door flew open. Selenity exited first, followed by Luna who looked around the town curiously, surprised at the amount of villagers who had come out to see their princess.

Selenity curseyed at her many admirers, who returned the gesture in unison before a plump lady came before them, bowing deeply. "Your highness, I cannot begin to express how I honoured I am to have you here at my fine establishment." she told the princess, her green eyes shining brightly. "I thank you for being so gracious as to let us stay here for the night." Selenity replied, a warm and friendly smile on her lips.

"Long live Princess Selenity!" came a call from the crowd, who joined in with the cheer, making the young princess blush crimson. Luna was so focused on Selenity's interactions that she did not notice Artemis move beside her. "I believe it's time that we retreat to our quarters. The day is ending, and we have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow." Luna scowled. He still hadn't called her by her name, and it was beginning to annoy her greatly.

Without a word, she strode up to the princess, leaning close to whisper in her ear. "I'm sorry Selenity, but Artemis says it is time for us to all retreat to our quarters, as we have a busy day tomorrow." Selenity sighed in protest, but nodded her head in Artemis' directions. He then summoned the plump woman, and began to converse with her, obviously about sleeping arrangements, before returning to the carriage to collect their luggage.

The woman then indicated for the three to follow her into the grand house behind them, Selenity waving to the townsfolk until the door closed behind them. The house was very grand indeed, but nowhere near the grand splendour of the Moon Palace. Artemis, Luna and Selenity followed the woman up a large flight of stairs, and were surprised when she led them outside, to a large courtyard. "These are the grandest rooms in the house, I do hope you find them to your liking."

In the corner of the courtyard was a large wall with three doors, which the three approached. "Selenity, you are to take the middle room, and we will be on either side." Artemis informed the princess, who only nodded in response. Artemis bowed to them before opening up the door to his room, setting their bags up against the princess's door. "I bid you ladies good night." And with that, he shut his room door behind him.

Selenity let out a sigh of relief, making Luna giggle softly. "Luna, do you think you could stay with me awhile? Being in a new place, so far away from home..." Luna nodded, she could understand the princess's feelings, recalling her first night in the Moon Palace. Grabbing their bags, the two woman entered Selenity's room, amazed at the sheer size of it. Luna quickly made her way over to the lamp, and seconds later the room lit up.

Selenity yawned, setting her bag down beside the bed before collapsing down into it. "Oh, how nice it feels to lie down again!" she exclaimed, and Luna opened Selenity's bag to retrieve her night-dress. "Before you can sleep, you must change out of your gown." Luna scolded her gently, before giving her younger companion a smile. "Oh Luna, if you say so." the princess replied, getting up off the bed and slipping off her shoes.

She stood before Luna, raising up her arms so that the raven-haired woman could pull her dress up and over head flawlessly, laying it down on the chair nearest them, before slipping on the silk night-dress. Selenity stepped back from Luna, finding the mirror in the room and making her way over to it, looking at her reflection.

Luna hung up Selenity's gown in the wardrobe, before moving to the princess, watching the younger woman as she looked up and down herself carefully, wincing as she did so. "What is the matter?" Luna asked Selenity, not seeing any possible flaw in her form. "I wish I were as beautiful as you, Luna." Selenity sighed, making Luna gasp. "Honestly, how can you not see that your own beauty over exceeds my own greatly?"

Selenity turned to Luna, her violet eyes sad. "How I wish to have such dark, lustrous hair, or eyes as vivid red as yours. To have such olive skin, oh Luna." Luna took the princess by the shoulders and steered her gaze back to the mirror. "You are the most beautiful being on this planet, in the entire Silver Millennium. No one has skin as soft as yours, nor eyes so bright. And your hair is a unique shade that no other can ever dream of having."

Selenity leant back on her companion, who wrapped her arms around the smaller girl. "Oh Luna, you always know how to cheer me up." she exclaimed, and Luna could only smile. She knew the princess better than she knew herself, she knew her strengths and her insecurities. "You need to believe and have faith in yourself, like I do. That's all."

Luna retracted her arms from around Selenity, who returned to the bed and lay down, moving the sheets over her, her eyelids beginning to grow heavy. Luna could sense how tired she was getting, and how quickly it was affecting her. "Luna, have a good sleep." she murmured, Luna touching her cheek softly. "You too, princess. You have a long journey ahead of you in the morning." And with that she blew out the lamp, rendering the room into early night darkness.

Picking up her own bag, she quietly left the princess's room, shutting the door behind her. She looked at Artemis' room, not surprised that the light was already out, he was probably already asleep. She then made her way into her own room, lighting up her own lamp before shutting the door behind her.

Her own room was quite spacious, and almost the same size of her chambers back in the palace. It was certainly an inviting room, with a large bed and all of the necessary furniture. She placed her bag on the bed, pulling out her own night-dress, a black one of a silk-like material. Pulling her own yellow day-dress over her head, she slipped on the black one. It was much more comfortable, the material feeling cool and soothing on her skin.

She put her bag down beside the drawers, hanging up her dress for the next day before she pulled out a book from her belongings. Her favourite book, one that Selenity had given her for a birthday a few years previous. She laid down on the bed, flipping through the pages, marvelling at the magnificent illustrations that accompanied the story. One caught her eyes, her favourite drawing.

_'True love's kiss, and the princess awakes!'_

Luna sighed. It was only a story, and a fictional one at that, but no matter how many times she read it, she loved it even more every time. How Luna wished that she were Sleeping Beauty, and that a handsome prince, her true love, would come to her rescue, giving her the kiss that would awaken her from deep slumber, and end the dreaded curse forever...

A sharp knock jolted Luna out of her thoughts, and she quickly got up from the door, wondering what was wrong with the princess for her to come to her in the middle of the night. She opened the door slowly, expecting to see Selenity in front of her, surprised instead to find only the empty night air. Luna was too busy looking around for her possible guest that she failed to notice the slender white cat that brushed by her legs and into her room.

Luna looked at the princess's door next to her own, the light was off, Selenity obviously was asleep. Her eyes then went to Artemis' door, but his light was also out. Luna scratched her head in confusion. Who on the moon had knocked on her door in the middle of the night and then disappeared.

She moved back inside, closing the door before turning around, letting out a startled scream as she caught sight of the man standing in the middle of the room, before he moved over to her swiftly, covering her mouth with his hand, cutting off the noise. She stopped, and he lowered his hand before stepping back, his eyes not leaving hers.

"Artemis, what are you doing in my room? How did you get inside?" Luna demanded to know, but Artemis merely smiled back at her, his blue eyes shining in the light. Luna gasped. His features were softer then earlier, his eyes full of life and emotion, his smile warm. This was not the cold, blank man that had been accompanying her and the princess all day.

"...Artemis?"

"Luna."


	8. Chapter 8

_**Disclaimer; **I do not own Sailor Moon or anything SM related. The story however, is mine, and I implore you not to steal it. I would also like to acknowledge Dejana Talis as I have used her idea of the planet Mau from her story 'Against All Odds'._

_Enjoy!_

CHAPTER EIGHT

"_...Artemis?"_

"_Luna."_

Luna stepped back, her arms feeling for the closed door behind her, which she then proceeded to collapse again. Hearing Artemis speak her name, the first time since they had been introduced in the Moon Kingdom's throne room, made her heart beat faster to the point where she feared it was going to escape her chest.

She couldn't explain what was going on, all she knew is that the man before her, the older incarnation of the childhood friend she had loved and lost so many years ago, was watching her intently with sparkling blue eyes that held so much more in them than earlier that day. Before, he had been grumpy, and not at all social, and seemed to have completely forgotten that he and Luna had known each other in the past.

But now, standing in front of her, it was her Artemis. The Artemis she had tried to hard to remember, the boy with the addictive laugh and mischievous eyes. But now there was a frown upon his face, and Luna sensed that her reaction to his presence was not what he had been expecting from her. Taking in a deep breath, she pulled herself off the door and back onto her feet, trying to control the various emotions that were pushing to be let free.

"I...what...uh....is there something wrong?" she asked Artemis, unsure of what to really say at that point. Artemis' smile returned to his face as he stepped closer to her. "Luna." he repeated, the sound of him speaking her name making her heart beat rapidly again. "You're more beautiful than I remember."

Luna's red orbs grew wide. "What... what do you mean...?" she replied, watching him carefully, hoping that he wasn't pulling some cruel trick on her. His smile faltered, his eyebrows creasing together in worry. "You mean, you don't remember? Our childhood, on Mau?" he asked, holding out a hand towards her, before retracting it quickly, obviously being careful not to startle her too much.

"Of course I remember." she answered swiftly, raising one eyebrow at him. "It is you who seemed to have forgotten." Artemis cringed, regret crossing his handsome features as he crossed his arms together, Luna finally noticing that he was clothed in sleeping garments, consisting of a white pair of pants and a white shirt made of flimsy material that was almost completely see-through, revealing his chest. Luna gulped nervously, feelings creeping into her system that she had never felt before.

Artemis sighed, before looking at her apologetically. "You are referring to my conduct since I arrived in the Moon Kingdom. I apologise. I thought perhaps it would be easy to focus on the task before me, and not be distracted by the fact that I had found you again after all these years. But after today, it was becoming near unbearable. Therefore I came to see you, and here I am, revealing all."

Luna tried to fight off the tears that were determined to form in her red eyes. "I thought... I thought that perhaps you had forgotten me, and our friendship when we were children. When I saw you in the throne room, the instant you took off your cloak, I knew it was you. When we first met eyes, yours were blank, there was nothing there, no recognition, no emotion. It was enough to break my heart. It was then that I thought I had lost you forever, after all my years hoping and wishing that we would find each other again, here you were before me, but there was no trace of you inside."

Artemis moved forward once more, this time only inches away from Luna. He went to brush the back of his hand against her cheek gently, it was then that she realised the tears had escaped, and that she was openly revealing her emotions to him. Quickly she wiped them away, embarrassment crossing her face, before she returned her eyes to Artemis. "Again, I apologise. It was not my intention to hurt you." he whispered.

Luna moved over to the bed and sat down on it, pulling her legs up over the side and crossing them. Artemis followed, sitting opposite her on the bed, his blue eyes never leaving her face once. "You've grown up so much." Luna marvelled, looking at him up and down. Artemis cocked his head to the side. "I could say the same to you." Luna's cheeks flushed crimson momentarily, as her red orbs trailed to the marble slate floor, tracing the cracks embedded in it.

Her eyes returned to his, and she bit down on her bottom lip momentarily in thought before she spoke again. "Where...what happened to you?" she inquired softly, hoping that he would understand the meaning behind her question. Artemis let out a deep breath, crossing his arms as he did so. "I found myself on the planet Venus. As far as I have been told, my kidnappers had been intercepted by the Venusian guard, and they brought me back to their King and Queen."

Luna nodded. "That's quite similar to my own experience." she revealed, tugging down the edge of her dress absent-mindedly. "The King and Queen were kind enough to give me the position of being the princess's personal confidante. I have never been able to thank them enough." Artemis smiled, tilting his head back slightly, his white hair sweeping across his neck as he did so.

"I was firstly trained as a cleaner, as I had informed the royals of my duties back on Mau. As I grew older, the King saw potential in me, and ordered for me to be trained in the ways of combat. And only recently I became a guard, and then promoted to carry on the task of escorting the princess of the Moon to meet her betrothed."

Luna took in a deep breath, amazed at Artemis' story, and how easy it had been for him to confide in her, and vice versa. It was amazing how easily their close friendship in their childhood was quickly reformed, without so many words needed. She had only told Selenity small snippets of her past, and had been careful not to reveal too much.

"How...how did you manage to get into my room without me being aware?" she questioned her companion, turning her eyes to look into his once more. Artemis raised an eyebrow at her inquiry. "I simply shifted into my feline form, I believed that if I had come to your door and confronted you there, you would not have allowed me to enter the room." he explained, scratching his chin gently with a pale hand.

Luna sat quietly, absorbing the information. "Shifted into your feline form." she repeated softly, remembering of her younger years on Mau, surrounded by beings and cats alike. As a young girl, she dreamed endlessly of turning sixteen, the age where you were taught the ways of shifting. She turned to Artemis, hope shining in her red orbs. "Do you think that you could teach me?"

Artemis sat up straight, astonishment clear on his face. "Teach you? Are you telling me that you are unable to shift?" he asked Luna, who nodded sadly. "When we...departed from Mau, I was only fourteen, and therefore had not been old enough to learn." she replied, wringing her hands together. She found it hard to return to her past, even as the years had gone past.

The truth was, Luna was happy on the Moon. She was content with her position in the castle, and had formed such a bond with the princess that she knew would last forever. The only thing that had held her back from true happiness had been the loss of Artemis, being torn away from him against her will and separated for so many years.

And now he sat across from her, being the closest to male perfection Luna had ever laid her red orbs upon. Even being in his presence made her heart beat that little bit faster and harder, her skin felt flushed all over and she was continually forced to catch her breath when his eyes settled upon her form.

Luna was so lost in thought, she was mildly surprised when Artemis began to speak again, in her mind she had been certain that all of this had just been a figment of her imagination. "Well then I will take it upon myself to school you in the Mau art of shifting." Artemis exclaimed, flashing her a beaming smile, the gleam coming from his perfect white teeth almost making Luna faint.

She regained her composure quickly, trying to brush off the strange feelings she was having. "Wonderful." she replied, giving Artemis her best smile before it began to fade with her recognition of the time. It was well into the night now, and as much as she wanted to talk with Artemis more, they had a big day ahead of them in the morning.

Sighing, Luna stood up from the bed, Artemis following. "I suppose I should bid you goodnight." she told him, and the disappointment was not hard to read on his face. "We both need to rest well tonight, the journey tomorrow is a long one." he agreed, walking to the door and opening it. They both stood still for a moment, revelling in the cool night air that breezed into the room.

Artemis turned back to Luna. "Goodnight." he spoke, and Luna nodded, before a thought came into her mind, and she held up a hand to Artemis. "Before you leave, I just wanted to suggest that tomorrow you...well, not be so cold. Especially to Selenity." she told him, and a faint flush of embarrassment crept onto his alabaster cheeks. "Of course." he replied, before stepping out and closing the door behind him, leaving Luna to her thoughts.

She quickly put out all of the candles, and settled into her bed, pulling the luscious covers over her and placing her bed upon the soft pillow. Her mind was begin to swim, all of the night's events replaying in her thoughts, mixed with memories of her youth with Artemis.

After years of missing him, wondering where he was, if he was alright, and hoping that she would find him once again, Artemis had returned to Luna. And she was determined that she would not lose him this time.

_**Author's Note**: I had crazy writer's block with this chapter, which is mainly why it has taken me so long to update. Hopefully it won't take me so long to write the next one! *fingers crossed*_


	9. Chapter 9

**_Author's Note; _**_Ah, I realize just how slack I have been with this story, and to all the readers who have been patiently waiting for it to be updated, I apologize. I lost my inspiration for a time, and realized that over two years is a pretty long time to wait. Things have just been so hectic on my end. My computer decided to die on me, so I had lost all my writing stuff – including my plots (yes, I plot out my stories before I begin to write, then add new things as I continue) but then I managed to save my hard-drive and turn in into an external hard-drive. So I got it all back, yay! Then I moved, had some personal things to deal with and had a severe case of writer's block which I thought might be eternal, but now here I am, with a brand-spanking-new chapter!I am going to try and write myself a few chapters ahead, that way the story will be updated more frequently. I can assure you that you won't be waiting another two years for Chapter Ten._

_On another note, I'm going to stop doing the disclaimer with every chapter – I don't see the point in posting it every time I update, once is enough to outline that I don't own Sailor Moon, which is pretty obvious, and that the idea of Mau comes from the mind of Dejana Talis._

_This chapter is dedicated to my Poppy, who I lost to cancer in March. RIP. _

_CHAPTER NINE_

"Luna? Luna, are you awake?"

Opening her red eyes slowly, squinting as the bright light streamed into them, Luna sat up. A few seconds later her eyes widened as she realized the sun had risen, never before had she slept in. She ran a hand through her thick raven hair. "Oh no, what have I done?"

A soft giggle reminded Luna that she was not alone, and she looked over to see the Princess, dressed still in her nightgown, sitting at the end of the bed. "Do not fret Luna, the sun has only just risen." Selenity reassured her confidante, who breathed a sigh of relief.

"I apologize, Selenity, it seems that time has escaped me." Luna spoke softly as she made her way out of the bed, moving over to her clothes. Picking up her dress and accessories, she moved behind a curtain and quickly got herself dressed, before re-emerging, placing her night items in her suitcase and then dashing over to the mirror, fixing her hair at light speed.

Having to do the same routine for many years, Luna learned how to do them with speed, in case an event such as this occurred. While it was most important to get the princess ready for the day, Luna could not do it unless she was ready for the day herself. No-one was dressed by someone in a nightgown, it simply was not proper.

Once Luna was satisfied with herself, she turned to the princess. "Now, I believe it is your turn." she exclaimed, smiling, before the two made their way out of the room and into Selenity's. Before entering through the door, Luna looked towards the room that Artemis had occupied for the night. The curtains were drawn, was he still sleeping?

Did the events of the night previous actually occur?

Luna had to time to speculate. She had duties to attend to, and a princess who needed to continue her journey to meet her betrothed. There were only two more days left of the journey there, this day and the next, before they would reach the southern kingdom. Not considered much of a kingdom, as the North held the most power, but there still resided a royal couple, their eldest son the one who would marry Selenity, join her in the Northern Kingdom, and one day become King of the Moon.

Once Selenity was dressed, her face washed and her hair brushed and set into it's traditional style, Luna packed her bag as well, before ushering the princess out of the room. They had breakfast awaiting them, and Luna could not remember the last time she and Selenity had eaten breakfast together. The princess was a light eater, and never needed too much sustenance, but Luna felt famished. Once she had collected Selenity's and her own bags, they moved downstairs, into the main dining room, where Luna's red eyes met blue once again.

They were warm, and friendly, as they had been last night. It hadn't been a dream.

"Good morning, Artemis." Selenity greeted the man, who had stood up from his seat and bowed. "Good morning to you too, princess." he replied simply, before his eyes shifted from violet to red once again. "Luna." he spoke her name, bowing ever so slightly. "Artemis." she nodded her head, before they all took seats at the table.

Breakfast was a simple affair, but as Luna ate, she could not help but sneak glances at Artemis, who was sitting across from her and Selenity, who appeared to have noticed nothing. He returned her glances with his own, and should could see the smile that tugged on the corners of his lips. Despite them both being older, it was almost as if rediscovering one another had reverted them back into children.

The time to leave had come, the local villagers greeting them outside to bid farewell to the princess, who took her time to thank each of them. Luna made her way over to Artemis' side, watching as the princess moved around the area. "It would be good if we had a few stops on the way." she murmured to Artemis, not moving her eyes from Selenity's form.

He turned to her slightly. "But we must make it there on time-"

Luna now shifted to face his, her red orbs looking into his blue ones. "Selenity has never been outside the kingdom. Once she is married, she will seldom be able to go and explore her lands. This is the only time she will be able to revel in the beauty that is the moon."

She turned back as the princess began to approach them. "Besides, that carriage can begin to feel rather cramped after a few hours." she added, her voice low so Selenity could not hear. She approached Luna and Artemis, a smile on her face. "Are we ready to leave yet?"

Artemis bowed, before granting Selenity a rare smile. "Yes, princess. I shall prepare the horses." He gave Luna one quick glance and then headed over to the carriage. Luna moved to Selenity's side and the two followed Artemis. Selenity's head inclined towards Luna. "Artemis seems much different today." she commented, causing a smile to form on Luna''s lips. "Perhaps he is a different man." she replied, chuckling to herself.

The bags had been packed, the horses fed, it was truly time for them to continue their journey to the southern kingdom. Artemis helped them both into the carriage, his hand lingering on Luna's for a moment longer before she sat down beside Selenity and the door closed. The carriage soon began to move, and Selenity waved goodbye out the window at the passing faces.

A while later, the carriage slowed, and then halted. Selenity turned to Luna, worry on her face. Luna gave her a reassuring smile. "We have stopped for a break, that is all." she explained to the princess, who's worry disappeared from her features to be replaced with happiness. "A break?" she repeated excitedly, as the door to the carriage opened to reveal Artemis as he held a hand to her. "Yes." he answered, as Selenity took his hand and alighted from the carriage, followed by Luna.

There was a gentle breeze in the air, that smelled heavily of moon lilies. Luna took in the sweet aroma and sighed with contentedness, before letting out a light chuckle as Selenity took of her shoes and began to move around bare-foot. Following in the princess's footsteps, as it were, Luna took off her own shoes and revelled in the feel of the grass between her toes. She'd missed it, having grown up on Mau practically barefoot.

Artemis produced a large blanket from the carriage, setting it on the ground and then beckoning for Selenity and Luna to join him. He also brought with him a large woven basket, which contained copious amounts of food. "Prepared for us earlier by the kitchen staff." he explained, as the trio sat down and began to delve into the various vegetables, fruits and assorted meats that filled the basket.

"So tell me princess, how does it feel to be outside the Kingdom walls?" Artemis began conversation, surprising Selenity who nearly dropped the starfruit she had been nibbling on. "Well, it feels...strange. And yet amazing at the same time. The land out here is beautiful." she sighed, looking out at the trees that lined the road they were travelling on.

She turned back to Artemis and Luna. "And yet...daunting."

Luna raised an eyebrow out of curiosity. "Why daunting Selenity?"

The young princess turned from them once more. "One day, I will become ruler of this planet, of this land. It just all seems so... large." she laughed softly. "Perhaps my worries are simply expanding. I just want to be a great Queen." Luna leant over and placed her hand gently on Selenity's slender shoulder. "You worry too much. You will make a fine Queen, the best the Moon has ever seen!"

Reassured, Selenity gave Luna her best smile, as did Artemis. Luna could feel heat rising to her cheeks, and so she turned to Artemis, determined to shift the attention to him. "So Artemis, how was it that you were chosen to be the Moon princess' personal guard?" she inquired, knowing the brief version from him the night before. Selenity also looked to Artemis, deeply intrigued.

"I was young when I began working within the palace on Venus, where the sky is burnt orange and the trees deep red. At first I was simply a cleaner, a kitchen hand, there to help wherever I was needed. As I grew older, I caught the King's attention. He thought that perhaps I was capable of much more, and ordered that I was trained in the ways of combat."

Artemis paused for a moment, a grin tugging on his lips as he could see that both Luna and Selenity were hanging on his every word. "I was much more talented then expected, and excelled much higher than most my age. A short while ago I was promoted to being in the King's guard, and when news of the Moon princess needing a personal guard to escort her to meet her betrothed, I was nominated for the position."

"There were many others that has also been suggested, and a competition was held in order to determine the winner. Which, by the evidence of myself sitting here and not someone else, was me." he finished his story triumphantly, met with smiles.

"Well I am glad to know that I have the strongest man in the universe to protect me on my journey." Selenity beamed, before turning to Luna. "And my best friend." The raven-haired woman simply smiled, her cheeks flushed pink.

It soon came time for them to continue on their way, Artemis loading the blanket and basket back into the carriage before escorting the princess back inside too. Before Luna could join Selenity, Artemis quickly pulled her off to the side, his voice a hushed murmur.

"There was more to the story. When I was told that there was a guard needed for the Moon, I asked to be nominated. I had heard rumours that you were on this planet. I came here only for you."

Without an another word, he helped Luna into the carriage, closing the door behind her. He sat above them once more, and the horses began to move again. Selenity looked to Luna and raised a lavender eyebrow. "Was something wrong?" she asked, but Luna simply shook her head. "Nothing is wrong." she replied, knowing whole-heartedly that it was the truth.

Artemis' words swirled through her thoughts.

"_I came here only for you."_


	10. Chapter 10

**_Author's Note; _**_So it has come to my attention that I never explained why Selenity is named so, and not Serenity. This is because eventually the Serenity we are most used to (aka the one who later becomes Usagi/Serena) will show up, and I didn't want to get the two confused, as they both have the same name. So I slightly modified Serenity's mother's name to have a 'l' instead of a 'r'. I'm really sorry for the confusion. _

_Also, I know this may irk some people because yes, her name is technically also Serenity, but it's to help me with the story, to make sure they are known as two different people, and it's only been slightly changed, it's not like I called her Angelina or something. So please, no hating. _

CHAPTER TEN

That afternoon, Selenity, Luna and Artemis had reached the town where they were to stay until the next morning. The villagers had once again come out in crowds to catch a glimpse of their princess, who had graciously gone out of her way to meet as many of them as she could, shaking their hands delicately and accepting their gifts of flowers, crafted items and even parcels of food.

Luna could tell that Selenity was indeed going to become a great Queen when her time to rule came. All she could do was hope that the man whom Selenity was betrothed to was equally as kind and caring, as Selenity deserved no less. Luna simply wanted the best for the princess, she was naturally protective of the younger woman.

After Artemis had gone through all of the villager's gifts to make sure none of them were malicious in any way, they had dined with the villager's most respected elders, a grand feast that had expanded their bellies. Selenity had gone to bed early, needing as much sleep as she could for the next day of travel, knowing they would be entering the southern kingdom in the late afternoon.

Shortly after Selenity had retreated to her chambers, Luna heard a knock at her own door. She had been about to change into her nightclothes, and was grateful that she hadn't. She opened the door to reveal Artemis, who smiled softly at her. "Good evening." he greeted her, and she couldn't help but return his grin. "May I enter?" he asked, indicating to her room.

Luna moved back so he could walk past her inside, once he had she closed the door once more. "I was just about to change and go to bed. We have a rather long day ahead of us tomorrow." she spoke, taking a seat on the bed, watching Artemis intently as he stood before her, his back turned as he opened her curtains slightly and looked out the window for a moment..

For some strange reason, he still managed to intrigue her. And every time she laid her red orbs on his form, she swore he continued to grow more handsome by the second. Her eyes lingered on his strong shoulders, the smooth curve of his back, the trail of snow-white hair that rested there.

Artemis closed the curtains once more and turned back to face her, and she couldn't help but feel her cheeks flush. "It is still quite early, I thought perhaps we could convene. You wish to learn shifting, and that can usually take weeks, months, even years for some. We unfortunately do not have the luxury of time." he explained, looking down at her.

"When this trip finishes, and Selenity is once again in her own kingdom, I will have to return to Venus and resume my duties there."

Artemis' words took Luna aback, she felt herself clenching the sheets beneath her. She'd been so ecstatic to find Artemis once again after all this time, she'd been foolish enough to not realise that her happiness would be short-lived. "What if you could stay on the moon?" she suggested, her voice soft, yet wavering. She knew it was selfish to ask, but the idea of letting Artemis go again was too painful to bear.

"I have a duty to the Venusian King, which I cannot abandon. I am in his debt for everything he has done for me. Even if I were to be offered a position on the moon, I would have to decline." Artemis replied, a sigh in his voice. "I know we have only just found one another, that is why I try not to think about returning home. Instead I focus on my duty to protect the princess, and my time that I have here with you."

Artemis joined Luna on the bed, sitting only a few inches away from her. "Please, do not despair on what is to come. Enjoy the current situation." he told her, placing a hand gently on her back. Luna could feel the warmth emitting from it, and revelled in it. "I will try my best." she replied, mustering the best smile that she could for him.

"Now, for tonight, we will not properly get into the training for shifting, but I will tell you how to prepare yourself for it. It is incredibly simple sounding, but in fact is hard to achieve. The most important detail you will need to know, is when you wish to shift into your feline, you must think as a feline."

Think as though she were a cat? It indeed sounded simple, but also ridiculous. Luna closed her eyes briefly, remembering back to her childhood, being surrounded by people and felines alike. She had always wanted to shift, waiting anxiously until she was of age to learn. But then everything had changed, and she had been torn from her homeplanet, her heritage, from everything she knew.

A gasp broke Luna from her thoughts, and she opened her eyes to look at Artemis, who's mouth was slightly agape, his blue eyes wide and staring at her. She cocked her head slightly to the side. "What is wrong?" she inquired, wanting to know why he was looking at her so peculiarly. "You need to look in the mirror." he replied simply, pointing the mirror that was near the bed.

Confused, Luna stood up and made her way over to where her reflection awaited her, only to mirror Artemis' look of shock. A pair of pointed raven ears protruded from the sides of her head, her nose also resembling that of a feline. Suddenly, her odd features retracted, her nose retaining it's former shape, the cat-like ears gone.

Luna turned to Artemis in hope of answers. "Were you thinking of felines?" he inquired simply, still looking at her with great interest. She nodded in reply. "I was remembering our days of Mau, and how I was filled with such anticipation for my sixteenth birthday when I would finally be able to shift." she explained, moving back to the bed again.

"I should have realised you would learn shifting quicker than most." Artemis lamented, leaning back on the bed, keeping himself propped up with his elbows. "You have always been rather intellectual, beyond that of anyone I have ever met." Luna felt her cheeks tingle once more with his words.

"Do... do you ever think of Mau?" Luna asked Artemis, her mind still lingering on her memories. Her companion closed his eyes, a smile on his lips. "Often." he answered simply. Luna laid back on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. "I sometimes think about returning there, when I am older and my services are no longer needed on the moon." she revealed, raising her arms so she could rest her head upon them.

Artemis' blue eyes shot open as he looked down at Luna beside him. "That would be impossible." he told her, confusion setting into his features. Luna shifted so she was sitting once more. "What do you mean? I know I will be in the service of the moon for many years to come, but there will be a time when I will no longer be required, and I can return to my homeplanet to spend the rest of my days." she raised one raven eyebrow at him.

Looking to the floor, Artemis sighed. "It would appear that no-one has told you of the fate that befell our beloved planet." he spoke softly, before his blue orbs arose to meet her red. "Mau is no longer." Luna gasped, a hand flying to her mouth in shock. Mau was gone? This was the first she had heard of such things. The last news she had heard of the planet was of the Queen's death, which had only been a year or so ago.

"After the Queen passed, there was no heir to take the throne. Enemies had heard of the Queen's sickness, and waited for the opportune moment to attack. They knew Mau would be weaker without a leader, and that is when they decided to invade. The destruction was immense, the planet burned to the ground. There is no hint of life there, and it has since become inhabitable."

As Artemis explained what had happened to her beloved Mau, tears had begun to fall down Luna's olive cheeks, and she made no effort to restrain them. Her childhood was gone, everyone she had held dear to her no longer alive. Losing the Queen had been a sad event for her in itself, but to lose everything else? It was almost too much to bear.

Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her small frame, their warmth comforting. Luna made no move to fight them off, instead moving closer to Artemis and burying her head in the crook of his neck, the tears coming thicker and faster. With Artemis, she never had to hide her true emotions. A hand found it's way to her dark locks, stroking them soothingly as she continued to sob.

A few minutes later, the two broke apart, Luna no longer weeping but sniffing softly. Artemis retracted his arms from Luna, although he continued to watch her, sympathy on his face. "I am truly sorry for having to be the one to give you such tragic news, Luna." he apologised, his voice wavering ever so slightly. "I would never have wished to make you so upset."

Luna gave him a sad smile. "It is better for me to learn if this now, rather than later." she replied, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. Artemis sighed. "I should probably depart now, we will both need a decent night of sleep to prepare for tomorrow. It will be by far the longest day of traveling." he stood up with his words, heading to the door.

Watching him go, Luna could feel loneliness rushing through her system with each step further he took. "Wait!" she cried out, getting to her feet. Her mind had remembered something, and as Artemis turned around in surprise, she placed a hand inside the pocket of her sunshine-coloured dress, only to remove it moments later, closed around some sort of item.

Wordlessly, she held her hand before Artemis and unclenched her fist. A ribbon of the same bright yellow of Luna's garments was exposed, sitting neatly in her palm. Artemis' blue eyes widened. "Is that..." he trailed off, as Luna nodded in reply. "You bought this for me the last day I saw you. I was still clutching it in my hand when they found me, I refused to let it go." She looked down at the ribbon, her face softening.

"For the past six years, I have kept it on my person at all times, hidden in my pocket. For me, it was almost as if I had a little piece of you with me, always. It has been my good luck charm." Luna revealed, smiling up at Artemis. He said nothing, instead taking Luna's hand and closing her fingers over the ribbon once more with his own. A beaming smile appeared on his face, and Luna could not remember the last time she had seen such a beautiful thing.

He leaned closer to Luna, his lips brushing against her cheek. Warmth rapidly spread across Luna's cheeks as he pulled back once more, gazing at her intently. He had said nothing about the ribbon she held, but words did not seem to be needed. She could tell that he had found it an amazing feat that she still possessed something that would seem so small and significant to others, but it held so much significance and meaning to both of them.

Silently, Artemis stepped back, giving Luna a nod of farewell before exiting the room, leaving her alone again. As she returned to the bed and sat down on it's side, she suddenly felt exhausted. It had been such an eventful night, and all in a short amount of time. Luna raised a hand to her cheek, her fingertips brushing against the skin that had felt Artemis' soft lips upon them.

"_Artemis? Was he your friend?"_

"_He was more than a friend. I guess, in my own little way..." _

"_What?"_

"_I loved him."_

The memory of Luna's first night on the moon returned to her, the words she had spoken to the young princess about Mau. She had admitted that she had loved Artemis, and the more she considered it, the more she realised that despite the years she had been apart from him, her feelings had not changed, if anything, they had grown.

She and Artemis would not have much time together until he would have to return to Venus, but Luna was determined that they would make the most out of the days that they had.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Author's note; **__Yes, I'm still alive. Barely, but I'm here. Once again, personal problems have plagued me this year and made writing difficult, but I've managed to somehow get through it and finished a few chapters of each of my stories, ensuring that I'm keeping ahead so updates can become a bit more regular._

_I'm currently hoping to update every one of my stories once a month, maybe twice a month depending on how ahead I am on chapters/how high the demand is/how many reviews and alerts I receive. I'm not making any promises as I hate breaking them, but I will try._

Also, would love to receive some feedback on what Selenity's betrothed should look like/be named. Suggestions would be awesome and super helpful. So please let me know if you have any ideas!

_Anyway, please enjoy the next chapter and remember, reviews are very much loved. :)_

CHAPTER ELEVEN

When the sun rose early the next morning, Luna was already awake, dressed and prepared for the day ahead. After Artemis had left her room the night before, Luna had laid in her bed, thoughts swimming through her head. She had felt such a range of extreme emotions that she had not experienced in years over the previous few days, from incredible sadness at learning the fate of her beloved home, to ecstatic joy at the prospect of spending more time with Artemis.

There was something there, something she had not faced in years, that had laid deep and dormant within her since she had arrived on the Moon. Now with the presence of her childhood friend, it was rising, beginning to bubble at the surface. Feelings that had not been considered in a very long time. Luna had attempted to make sense of them before she succumbed to sleep, but to no avail.

After they entered the South Kingdom, she would have roughly a week to figure them out, as well as grow closer to Artemis. For now, she had to focus on the long day of travelling they had ahead of them. Sometime that evening, they would reach their destination and Selenity would meet her betrothed, the future King of the Moon. She knew that the young princess was nervous, but also excited as the prospect of her future life.

Once married, the current King and Queen would retire, leaving Selenity and her husband to take their places as rulers of the Moon. Then she would become pregnant with the future heir to the throne, and once that child was of age, the cycle would occur once more. Selenity had been groomed to become Queen her entire life, and there was no doubt in Luna's mind that she was now ready for that title.

As soon as everything was packed, her bed made and the room tidied, Luna made her way to Selenity's door, knocking softly upon it before awaiting for the princess to respond so the dark-haired woman could enter and prepare Selenity for the day ahead. When no noise was heard, no voice calling out to allow the woman to enter the room, no ruffling of the bed sheets, Luna rapped her knuckles on the door again, this time louder in case the fair-haired woman had been too deep in slumber to have heard the noise the first time.

Nothing.

Worry setting into her exotic features, Luna turned the handle and opened the door impulsively, her heart begin to pound forcefully in her chest when she realized that the princess was nowhere to be found within the rather lavish room. Her bed had been made quite neatly, her garments, jewellery and general luggage gone. Luna's red eyes darted around the room frantically in a desperate bid for some kind of clue as to what had happened, but there was no trace left that Selenity had ever resided within it.

Panicking, Luna quickly exited the empty room, closing the door promptly behind her before hurrying back her own room as she began to stress, pacing across the floor as her mind went into overdrive. Had something grievous happened to the princess as she slept? Luna hadn't heard anything out of the ordinary, her hearing more heightened than most other beings as she was of the feline race of Mau. Her ears were rather sensitive to noise and yet she had not been awoken from her slumber that night.

Perhaps the young princess had simply woken up early and decided to go for a walk to clear her mind for the big day ahead of her. Luna often did that when she became quite stressed. Calming herself down with that thought, she sat down gently on the bed, only to return to her feet moments later with the realization that such a scenario could not have happened, due to the state of the princess' room. Selenity did not know how to make a bed, and even if she had tried, it would not have been so neat. And what about her missing luggage? She would not have taken those with her for a simple walk.

Something was definitely amiss.

Her curtains open, Luna flashed her red orbs at Artemis' room, wondering if she should perhaps go and alert him of the disappearance of the princess. She bit her lip in thought, a habit she had developed out of sheer worry. It would probably be better that she wait and see what happened before making such fuss over it, especially if there was a simple explanation. A part of her still held hope that this was all a misunderstanding on her behalf and that Selenity was actually fine and not in danger.

Yet the raven-haired beauty still fretted about a possible abduction.

Such an incident occuring had been one of her biggest fears of this journey to the other side of the Moon. The princess was staying in ordinary villages along the way, and while guarded by Artemis and Luna herself, it was nothing compared to the security at the palace. She had faith in Artemis' abilities as a guard , after all, he had been hired as the brawn in case something like this occurred. Still, there was every chance someone could slip into Selenity's room at night, undetected, and take her.

Yet, there had been no ransom note to be found, no evidence of any kind of struggle nor fight. As well as this, Luna was certain that such people would not tidy the room and make the bed as they took princesses in the middle of the night. Such people who did these kinds of things did not take the time to tidy up after themselves. She couldn't quite make sense of it, and doubted that she would.

Perhaps it was time for her to take a walk and clear her thoughts, she had been considering it since pondering over the possibility of Selenity doing the very same thing.

Sighing, Luna left her room and made her way to the nearby gardens, knowing that were rather notable in the small village they were currently in. And she could understand why. The lushness of the garden was breathtaking, and although rather small compared to the vast gardens of the Moon Kingdom, they were equally as beautiful as the ones she was accustomed to, if not more.

The variety of colours was astounding, mixed with a cornucopia of pungent aromas that varied from the sweet and fruity, to the musky and spicy. Instantly Luna felt her head clear, and would have been rather content to spend all of her days in the garden if she were able. A small path lined with pebbles led her through the foliage, boasting various flowers and plants from other planets.

A particular cluster of flowers on one side of the path caught her eye, ones she had not seen in many years. Luna hurried over to them, fingering one of the flowers gently as she admired the unique shape and familiar fragrance. The snow-like petals were soft and just as beautiful as she remembered. She couldn't remember their exact name, only that they had been native to Mau. Luna had always liked how they stood in such contrast to the plethora of coloured flowers who had such bright hues, yet these were pure white.

The crunch of approaching footsteps behind her made Luna retreat from the flowers and spin around, her red gaze meeting that of the local gardener, an older gentleman who gave her a warm smile before proceeding to bow. Luna returned the gesture with a curtsey, her cheeks flushing with warmth as she realized she had allowed herself to become quite distracted with the foliage behind her.

She was about to turn and leave to return to her room when the elderly man spoke. "I see you've taken a liking to those white flowers." he commented, indicating to the plants behind Luna with a slight nod of the head. Luna's cheeks flushed again as she nodded in response. "They're beautiful." she added, spinning back around to gaze at them once more as the gardener moved to stand beside her.

"These particular flowers are from the feline planet of Mau. Beautiful place, filled with the most colourful foliage known throughout the Silver Millennium. These were brought back just a few years before the Queen of Mau passed away and the planet was sadly destroyed." the man explained wistfully. "It is a shame, I would have loved to have added more of the different varieties of them to this garden."

Luna frowned slightly, touching one of the delicate flowers again. The snowy petals reminded her of Artemis, the tone just like that of his hair. "I remember these." she exclaimed aloud, unaware of the gardener's eyes widening as she spoke. "In the vast sea of coloured flowers, these ones always stood out for me. When I was a child, I had a bouquet of them beside my bed so my room would be filled with the rich perfume." Luna leaned forward and let the aroma tickle her nose, the sweet and musky scent calming.

"You are a Mauan?" the gardener asked Luna incredulously, breaking her from her daze as she stood up straight once more and turned her eyes to him. "One of the remaining few, it seems." she replied sadly, her smile fading as the man looked wistful. "I offer my condolences for what befell your home. If you would like, you may take one of the flowers as a momentum."

Luna's eyebrows raised slightly out of surprise before she moved to pluck one of the pale flowers, twirling the stem between her fingers. She turned to the elderly gardener and curtseyed again. "Thankyou." she expressed her gratitude, before turning to make her way back through the path and to her room, smiling as the man waved in farewell at her as she departed.

Once back at her room, she took the flower and placed in within her luggage, knowing the aroma would stick to her clothing and she would have a sweet slumber that night indeed. Now all that was left to do was to have breakfast and then they could depart from the village-

Luna shoot to her feet once again, remembering that the princess was still nowhere to be found. She had become so enamoured by the garden that she had completely forgotten that Selenity had seemingly disappeared, and needed to be located before Luna could relax.

Rushing out of her room, Luna hurried into the main part of the building they had stayed in the previous night, looking for any signs of the young princess. As she began to descend down the stairs, she heard a peal of laughter, the familiar tinkling putting Luna at ease as she recognized it as Selenity's.

Once at the bottom of the stairs, Luna entered the dining room to find Artemis and Selenity already seated and currently in the process of devouring their breakfast. Artemis' blue eyes rose from the bowl before him to meet Luna's red ones, and instantly he stood from his chair, a gesture of chivalry as he awaited for her to sit down before he would resume his seat.

As Artemis moved to his feet, Selenity noticed this movement and turned around in her own chair to make sense of what had happened, her delicate features lighting up as she saw Luna, a beaming smile appearing on her lips. "Luna!" she exclaimed, looking to the chair beside her. "Please, come and join us for breakfast!"

Luna folded her arms for a moment, pointedly looking at Artemis with what she sensed was an icy glare. She was not furious, but she was quite annoyed and made sure that he was aware of this. Not only had the princess been dressed and organized by someone else when it was Luna's job to do so, no-one had even alerted her to Selenity being awake. The young princess knew that if she were to rise first, she was to knock on Luna's door and wake her.

Despite this, and the fact that they had begun to eat without waiting for her to arrive, Luna was glad to see that Selenity and Artemis were spending time together and getting to know one another, especially as the princess had not quite known what to make of the snow-haired man at first. Now she could see the true Artemis that Luna had known since they were children, despite the fact that she had no idea that he was actually the Artemis she had heard stories about from Luna in her youth.

Sighing, Luna moved to the table and sat down next to Selenity, Artemis returning to his seat also before resuming to eat. Selenity, always perceptive, looked at Luna woefully. "I am sorry Luna that I did not wake you this morning. I was just so excited about today that I rose before the sun, and could not return to my slumber. Luckily one of the maids helped me to prepare for the day, as I thought you deserved to continue to sleep." Selenity explained, frowning at the tanned woman beside her.

"You gave me a fright this morning when I came to your room to wake you, only to find you gone. I feared the worst." Luna admitted, her tone slightly scolding. "As your confidante, I must know where you are at all times. I do not wish to lose you, Selenity, I must keep you safe." she explained, patting the girl's slender arm affectionately, a smile appearing on her face.

Artemis broke the conversation as he finished his meal and cleared his throat. "Selenity, I advise you to finish your breakfast as Luna receives hers. In the meantime, I will finish loading the carriage so that once you are both done, we will be able to depart and be on our way. Today's travelling will be the longest we have had so far, yet we will have breaks so that the princess may stretch her legs. However, these breaks cannot be too lengthy as I wish to enter the South Kingdom before nightfall."

Back to business, it seemed. Luna smirked at him momentarily before her meal arrived, the bowl placed in front of her as the delicious aroma wafted up to meet her nose. Selenity looked up at Artemis and nodded. "We shall see you at the carriage then, once we are done." The Mauan rose from his seat, bowing to the two woman seated before striding from the room, leaving Selenity and Luna to finish their food.

Watching him go, Luna could not help but wish it was night already. Those were the only times she and Artemis could spend time together, and there were things she wanted to ask him, to tell him, to discover about him. All she wanted to do at that moment was show him the flower she had found, but that too would have to wait until nightfall.

It was going to be an incredibly long day, and it had only just begun.


End file.
